Chickasaw National Recreation Area Quarter
Ranked #10,049 in Hobbies, Games & Toys, #135,071 overall
Oklahoma's National Park Quarter
The coins in this series are known as the America the Beautiful Quarters. Each State and Territory will have a single design minted celebrating a location there. Five designs per year will be released, with a single design being released in 2021, for a total of 56 America the Beautiful designs.
The coin commemorating the Chickasaw National Recreation Area, located near Sulphur, Oklahoma, was scheduled for release November 14, 2011. The ceremony celebrating the release followed two days later, on November 16.
A Little History
A Little About the People and the Park
The Chickasaw are a Native American people originating in what became the US states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. The tribe encountered many European explorers and traders, having relationships with French, English and Spanish during the colonial years.Considered one of the "Five Civilized Tribes" by the United States government, the Chickasaw adopted many practices of European Americans. During the early 1800's the Chickasaw came into conflict with settlers who desired their land. The tribe was forced to sell their land in 1832 and move to "Indian Territory," which is now Oklahoma. Settling in what is now southern Oklahoma, the Chickasaw saw the area around the modern day town of Sulphur as sacred.
Wishing to preserve its natural beauty, the Chickasaw sold the springs and 640 acres to the Department of the Interior in 1902. It became known as the Sulphur Springs Reservation. It was renamed Platt National Park in 1906, named after the Connecticut Senator who sponsored the legislation forming the park, and was again renamed in 1976 when Platt National Park and Arbuckle Recreation Area were combined into a single area of about 10,000 acres. The name of the resulting entity was Chickasaw National Recreation Area.
Chickasaw Pride
Images from Chickasaw National Recreation Area
The Coin Itself
The Image and Designer/Engravers
Designer: Donna Weaver
Engraver: Jim Licaretz
The obverse of the America the Beautiful Quarter series remains the same throughout the series. The design, featuring the bust of George Washington, is the same that has graced the coin for several years.
The reverse of the National Park Quarter series changes to feature each locale. The Chickasaw Quarter depicts the Lincoln Bridge, built of limestone and dedicated in 1909 to celebrate the centennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth
Donna Weaver
Donna Weaver studied sculpting, painting and print-making at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. From 2000 until she retired in 2006, she served as a sculptor-engraver at the United States Mint at Philadelphia. Among the coins and medals on which Ms Weaver worked were:* 2007 Montana State Quarter
* 2007 Wyoming State Quarter
* 2007 Idaho State Quarter
* 2011 September 11 National Medal obverse and reverse
* 2011 First Spouse Julia Grant obverse
* 2011 U.S. Army Commemorative clad obverse
* 2010 American Eagle Platinum (To Establish Justice) reverse
* 2010 First Spouse Jane Pierce obverse
* 2010 First Spouse Jane Pierce reverse
* 2010 Boy Scouts of America Centennial Commemorative silver obverse
* President George W. Bush 2nd Term Medal obverse
* 2009 First Spouse Anna Harrison obverse
* 2008 First Spouse Elizabeth Monroe reverse
* 2008 Bald Eagle Commemorative clad reverse
Jim Licaretz
Jim Licaretz is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, having received a Traveling Scholarship as well as the Edmund Stewardson Prize for Figurative Sculpture.Licaretz joined to the United States Mint as a Medallic Sculptor in 2006, having held that position for a time in the 1980s. He was also a sculptor at Franklin Porcelain and the Franklin Mint in Pennsylvania. He also served as a faculty member at the Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia, the Otis School of Art and Design in Los Angeles, and the Academy of Art College in San Francisco.
British Museum, The Royal Coin Cabinet, The National Museum of Economy, Stockholm, Sweden, The American Numismatic Society, and the Smithsonian Institution all proudly display Licaretz's work. He is president of the American Medallic Sculpture Association, and a member of The National Sculpture Society and The Federation International de le Medaille.
Among Licaretz's Professional Awards/Recognitions are:
* 1976 Introspect Sculpture Award Franklin Mint Medal of Honor for Sculpture
* 1986 American Artist Professional League Gold Medal 58th Grand National Exhibition
* 1986 Gold Medal of Honor for Sculpture, 36th Annual Open Exhibition, Knickerbocker Artists
* 1987 Best in Show "Sculpture 1987" The Johnson Atelier National Competition, Mercerville, NJ
The Designers' Initials
The US Mint typically honors the designer and engraver of a coin by incorporating their initials into the design that is ultimately minted. Ms. Weaver's initials can be found on the lower left of the reverse, with Mr. Licaretz's initials to the right.
Where is the Chickasaw National Recreation Area?
The Chickasaw National Recreation area can be found near Interstate-35 between Oklahoma City and the Oklahoma-Texas border.
The Coin's Release Ceremony
Image produced by the AP for the US Mint
The US Mint held its release ceremony for the tenth coin in the America the Beautiful Quarters series, the Chickasaw National Recreation Area Quarter. Approximately 300 people, half of whom were students from local schools attended the ceremony in Sulphur, OK.
United States Mint Associate Director for Sales and Marketing B. B. Craig and Chickasaw National Recreation Area Superintendent Bruce Noble hosted the ceremony. Music was provided by the East Central University Clarinet Ensemble, and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by the 5th Grade Class of Sulphur's Intermediate School. Dr. Amanda Cobb-Greetham spoke and the Chickasaw Nation Dance Troupe performed. Oklahoma State Representative Wes Hilliard and members of American Legion Post #148 also participated.
After the ceremony students received a coin as a memento of the ceremony, and collectors eagerly exchanged cash for freshly minted quarters.
Designed by Donna Weaver and engraved by Jim Licaretz, the Chickasaw National Recreation Area Quarter portrays the Lincoln Bridge, constructed in 1909 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's birth.
"When Americans receive this quarter depicting the Lincoln Bridge in their change they will hold a piece of our American story in their hands, this one about the beauty and history of a special place conserved for them in Oklahoma," said Craig.
Chickasaw Quarter Auctions
The Coin Launch Ceremony - Chickasaw
Chickasaw National Recreation Area - National Park Quarter - November 16, 2011
The Superintendent distributes coins to local school children.
Lincoln on Coins
Folders for National Park Quarters
America the Beautiful Quarters Collector's Folder 2010-2021
Amazon Price: $4.18 (as of 05/28/2012)
Coin folders are excellent an excellent way to organize your coins and provide some basic protection for them. These are especially appropriate for beginning coin collectors.
Display Your National Park Quarters on a Map!
National Parks 56-coin Quarter Map - Made in USA
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Display your National Park Series quarters with this handsome 16.5" x 26" map. Each map is made with collectors in mind with extra thick board and recessed coin slots to protect your quarters and prevent scratching. Map has slots for all 56 coins being released from 2010 through 2021.
The Whitman National Park Quarters Album
National Park Quarter P&d Mint Album 2010-2021
Amazon Price: $15.50 (as of 05/28/2012)
Albums are one of the best ways to not only organize your coins, but to protect them at the same time. The clear plastic covers for both the front and back of the coin allow you to see both sides of the coin without having to remove it getting the dirt and oil of your skin on the surface of the coin...affecting both its beauty and its value. Whitman is a name that is known and trusted throughout the Coin community worldwide. This is a great choice for new and experienced collectors.
The Dansco National Park Quarter Albums
Dansco National Park Quarters Album P&D 2010-2021 #7145
Amazon Price: $23.59 (as of 05/28/2012)
The clear plastic covers for both the front and back of the coin allow you to see both sides of the coin without having to remove it getting the dirt and oil of your skin on the surface of the coin...affecting both its beauty and its value. And the classy leatherette look lets folks know that you are not only serious about collecting coins, but you have exquisite taste in displaying them.
2x2 Cardboard Quarter Holders ("Flips")
100 2x2 Cardboard Coin Holders QUARTERS
Amazon Price: $1.50 (as of 05/28/2012)
Inexpensive and effective, these are wonderful coin holders for most applications. If you don't like having to staple the holders, you can get Lighthouse Cardboard 2x2 Self-Adhesive Holders for Quarters which serve the same purpose.
A Classy Way to Display Single Coins
Proudly Display Your Collection in This Lovely Case
Are You Collecting the National Park Quarter Series
Hard to Find?
Sometimes "commemorative" coins are difficult to find in circulation. After all, with a coin like this the design is minted only a fraction of the times it would have been if the Mint was producing the same design all year long. With that in mind...
Some National Park Quarter Pages
Other Coin Information on Squidoo
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